Piston-impact engine.



No. 655,I|4. .Y Patnted luly 3|, |900. w. E. a E. F. PRALL.

Pls'ron IMPACT, Ermua-:v l (Application led Feb. 24,-1899.)

Tn: mams evans co. Pnomumu. wAsHwGwN. nA c,

f Patented .Iuly 3|, |900. W. E. & E. F. PRALL.

PISTON IMPACT ENGINE.

(Application led Feb. 24, 1899.)

(no Model.) A v l4 sheets-sheet' 2,

Q was 4 6 C Q l l Witwen@ i l h 3m znow t1/weno ZU gf. .f7 ense.. f, 'ssesi a a' ,v A' www n o 5 5 4 P a t e n t e d 1 u y s l 9 o o.

w E & E F P n A LL PlsToN IMPACT ENGINE.

(No Mod@ I 4 S h e e s S h e e i 3 Nu. s55,||4. Patented'mly 3|, |900.

. w. E. @L E. F. PnALL. A

PlsTuN IMPACT ENGINE.

` (Application filed Fab. 24, 1899.)

` (No Model.) f l 4.Sheets-Sheet 4,

and Aan abutment extension.

UNITED ',STATLES ,PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM EDGAR FRALL AND EDGAR FREDERICK PRALI., oF

NEW YORK, N. Y.

P .lsroN-IMPACT ENGINE.

srEcIFIoArIoN forming part of Ileaers raten/tivo. 655,114, dated July 31, 1 9oo. Application fueartfutry 24, 189e. sermravoarei. (remodel.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.- I Be it known that, we, WILLIAM EDGAR PRALL and EDGAR FREDERICK PRALL, citizens of the United States; and residents of New York city, in the county of, New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piston- Impact Engines, of which thefollowing isa specification.

The invention relates to rotary engines of the turbine type, and has for its objectto provide improvements in 4motor-Wheels and to provide simple and efficient devices, including cocks or valves, for operatively connecting the motor-*wheels in series and for reversing the engine. `v y f l The invention consists in the construction herein described and pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a longitudinal section of the improved engine. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a partial edge view of a motor-wheel, an` abutment being shown `in section.. i Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of ayalve-oasingA and valve. Fig. 5 isaperspective of an abutment` Fig. 6 is an en-v larged broken perspective of "a wheel-disk. Fig. `'7 is a partial section showingdefiectingplatesl Fig.l Sis a partial section in a trans# verse plane. Fig. 9 is a partial section showing a modified defiector. Fig. 10 is a like section showing modified impact-faces.

Numeral l denotes standards having bear,- ings 2 for a shaft 3. Outside of the stuffingf boxes are oil-receptacles 5, closelyfilled lengthwise the shaft by rings 6.I `These oilreceptacles are thus situated at a distance from Athe engine-cylinder to avoid excessivef heating of the oil. The oil and stuffing-bok," chambers are separated" from each other by a partition 5. Adetachable capfis denoted byuvw., t

The engine cylinder or casing comprises a series of rings 7, separated by partitions 9 and clamped together with them by rods binding togetherthe cylinder-heads 10. 4

Upon the shaft, within the casing, are a series of hubs 11, having fixed thereto integrally or otherwise annular webs or'interinediate disks 12, provided with circumferential iianges or rings 13. These hubs are held by sleeves 1 4and 15, having one a right and the other a left hand interior screw-thread adapted to engage the shaft, vsuitably threaded to coperategin joining the hubs together and fixing them onthe shaft. A spline or splines are denoted by 16; The hubs are exteriorly threaded on each side of the disks 12 to receive the interiorly threaded sleeves of bucketdisks 1.7., Bucket-disk faces 'to receive impact ofsteam are' denoted `by 18 and 1S'.

These faces are prefera bly'oppositely inclined and toward the plane of `rotation to receive the mostr efficient action of the steam in driv-` ing theengine in either direction. .admitted under conditions that insure a zig- Steam is zag coursefrom side to side, thereby preventing its direct escape through the intermediate open steamway.h A By this construction and by combining several` motor-Wheels highsteampressure can be thoroughly utilizedand steam exhausted at low pressure, notwithstanding a .oontin uous circulation, the admission and exhaustfports being left open as long as desired.

:Thefbucket-disks are arranged in pairs, and 4the screw-threaded hubs lof eachA1 pair are screwed toward each otherupon ahub 11 until they bear oppositely upon the ring or flange 13.

yExterior to their junction with said liange the Vwhich may have lany suitable transverse dimension, is made su ficiently large to receive an abutment 20, provided with steam-ports 21 and 22, separated by a partition 23. The `abutment is fitted tightly top-the` Icasing by means of anges 244: and 4b'olts'25 or in any suitable manner. It has an exterior exten- `sion 20', which is tightly connected to a valve extension to the valve-housing 216-therebyY separating the two extension-ports 317and 32, which may communicatein one direction with the steamway through abutment-ports 21 and A22, respectively, and in the other with a valveport bymeans of housing-ports 31'` and 32T The valves or cocks each have a port 3 0.

The valve-bodies are denoted by 37. Eachhas a stem 38, provided with a pinion39 fixed thereon, all being operatively connected with a rack 40, which is moved by a leverl .orb-y .any suitable means to simultaneously rotate the cocks to reverse the engine. The valve-H casing admits steam at and exhausts finally at 36. Y Y In operation if steam is `admitted through the first valve, for example, it passes through-- ports 31', 31, and2l intothe steamwayandiss. exhausted through'ports 22, 32, and 32'. TheV steam next passes through the second cock to a second port 31', and after making a circuit such as described passes through the succeeding valves one for each motor-wheel in the series; If the valves be reversed, steam is admittedto ports 32' 32 -22 and to the steamway and isexhausted through ports 21, 31, and 3l', from which latter port it then passes through the adjacent valve, suitably turned by the reversing, to a second series of ports 32', 32,22, 21, 3l, and 31'.v p j In theimproved construction each motor.- wheel is combined with a ring constituting a unit ofthe casing, and said ring supports the wheel-abutment. The construction is such that a single ring with its wheel and abutment can be employed in an engine, or additional rings and wheels can be used in any desired number, and the engine can be made reversible, if desired, in any'case.

Except in the case of a single wheeleach wheel issituated in a distinct compartment bounded by a ring and partitions 9, except at the ends of a multiple-wheel engine, in which the cylinder-heads bound the two-wheel compartment on the exterior. In case of a single wheel the compartment is bounded b a ring and headslO. Y r

The-valves can be used, if desired, to vary the admission of steam, but when once prop-f erly opened can remain at rest except it isY required to reverse the engine or to vary the s teamadmission. Referring to several figures heretofore not particularly described, Figs. 7 and 8show inlet-ports 2l and 22 directed against deflecting-plates. In Fig. 9 a curved deectingplatelet is illustrated. These examples are given to show that various constructions may, be adopted to suitably direct steam against the impact-faces. j

In Fig. 10 is-shown a modified form of im pact-faces, the invention not being limitedv to the preciseform and relative dimensions illustrated.

Having thus described our invention, we claiml y 1. In an engine, an engine-casing, a shaft, a wheel situated in the casing havin g two disks comprising a steamway, an intermediate disk xed on the shaft, means for securing the disks on the shaft, such means being adapted diate disk, and aixed abutmentsitiated in the steamway.

2. In an engine, an engine-casing, a shaft, a hub surrounding the shaft and lixed against rotation, said hub having a disk iXed thereto, Wheel-disks lixed to the hub and held against the first-named disk, a steamway outside the `periphery of the intermediate disk, and an abutment situated in said steamway.

3; .In-anengine, a shaft, a cylinder-casing, a Wheel having impact-faces and a steamway Madjacent said faces, an abutment fixed inthe Vs teaulvtay having separate ports adapted to communicate alternately with the steamway, and a-valvehaving a single port adapted to be put in direct communication with either abutment-port.

4. In an engine, a shaft, a cylinder-casing,

a wheel having impact-faces and a steamwayu adjacent said faces, an abutmentxed'inthe steamway having separate ports adapted to` communicate alternately with the steamway, and a valve having asingle port adapted to be put in direct communication with either abutment-port, and adapted in either case to Abe mediately put in communication with the port of a separate valve, `and said separate valve. i l f 5. In an engine, a shaft, a cylinder-casing, a plurality of Wheels each'having impact-faces and an abutment ixed in a steamway be tween said faces, the abutment being pro-- between said faces of each wheel, eachabut ment being provided with separatevports adapted to communicate alternately with the steamway, and a plurality of valves each having a port to be put `directly in communica tion with either port of a corresponding abut-' ment and mediately with the admission-port of a similar adjacent valve.

7. In an engine, a shaft, a cylinder-casing,

' steamway, and a plurality of valves eachhaving a port to be put directly in communicav tion with either portof a corresponding abutment and mediately with the admission-port of a similar adjacent valve, and devices for simultaneously opening the valves to admit to hold the Wheel-disks against the interme-Y steam to the several wheels in succession.

a similar ad- IOO 8. In an engine, a shaft, a cylinder-casing, a plurality of wheels each having im pact-faces and bucket-disks, hubs to connect the disks to the shaft, means to clamp the hubs on the shaft, and an abutment fixed in a steamway between said faces of each wheel, each abutment being provided with separate ports adapted to communicate alternately with the steamway, and a plurality of valves each having a port to be put directly in communication with either port of a corresponding abutment and mediately with the admission-portV of a similarly adjacent valve, and devices for simultaneously opening the valves to admit steam to the several wheels in succession,' Y said valves being each reversible and adapted to admit steam in a reverse order to the various ports communicating with its corresponding wheel.

9. In an engine, a cylinder-Casin g, a plurality of wheels having impact-faces and a steam- Way adjacent said faces, abutments ixed one in each steamway, each abutment having separate ports alternately communicating with a steamway, and a plurality of Valves each having a port adapted to be put directly in communication with either of its corresponding abutment-ports and mediately with the port of another valve.

10. In an engine, a shaft, a cylinder-casing comprising a series of rings 7 clamped between the cylinderheads, a rotary motor- Wheel fixed to the shaft Within each ring, an

abutment for each ring extending into a steamway in the wheel and communicating with a single steam-supply valve, and a sup'- ply-valve for each ring, all substantially as described, whereby steam may be passed through the several abutments in succession, and whereby the engine may be made of greater or less length by varying the number of rings and connections.

l1. In an engine, the combination of a cylinder comprising separable sections each having an admission and exhaust port, valves, one for each cylinder-section situated outside the cylinder, and devices to operate the valves to pass steam through them and their corresponding cylinder-sections in succession.

12. In an engine, the combination of a cylinder comprising separable sections each having an admission and exhaust port, valves, one for each cylinder-section situated outside the cylinder, closed disks between the sections, and devices to operate the valves tov pass steam through them and their corresponding cylinder-sections in succession.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New YorlQon this 16th day of February, A. D. 1899.

WILLIAM EDGAR PRALL. EDGAR FREDERICK PRALL.

Witnesses:

JULIA L. PRALL, J. BERNARD ENGLISH. 

